Saskatchewan & Alberta prairie explorer self-drive tour

This morning, collect your car at the airport. Your car hire includes all taxes, third-party liability insurance, loss damage waiver, and an additional driver. Begin your journey by driving through eastern Alberta into the prairie province of Saskatchewan. You may wish to stop at Dinosaur Provincial Park en route — it’s one of the world’s richest fossil fields and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrive at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, which is located in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

You have a day at leisure to explore the park, which features numerous hiking trails and offers opportunities for canoeing, fishing, and swimming. These never-glaciated hills have a rich geological history and, with a mix of forests, wetlands, and grasslands, are home to a wide diversity of plants and animals. Two outstanding features of the park are Bald Butte and Lookout Point, the highest point in the Centre Block of the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, and the Conglomerate Cliffs viewpoint in the West Block offers an alluring view of the tree-covered slopes and valley below.

Drive southeast to Grasslands National Park, Canada's only park that protects one of the last intact grasslands of the original North American prairie. There are many ways to explore, including walks and horse rides through the prairie landscape. Wildlife is a highlight here, and in 2005, the park successfully reintroduced prairie (or plains) bison. Keep a lookout for them, as it's an unforgettable experience to see these magnificent animals in their original habitat.

Spend today at leisure in Grasslands National Park. It’s divided into two blocks — east and west — and each offers a paved scenic highway for you to explore. There are plenty of opportunities to go for a walk, spot wildlife, and learn about the park at the interpretive stops. Besides bison, look out for prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, and short-horned lizards, especially in the West Block’s Frenchman River Valley. The East Block’s Badlands scenery is a photographer’s delight. The entire national park is also a designated dark sky preserve, making it an ideal spot for stargazing.

Drive to the small town of Moose Jaw, about 70 km (43 miles) west of the provincial capital, Regina. There’s time this afternoon to explore the town’s historic buildings, huge murals and many independent shops. Included is a trip back in time to the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, where Al Capone operated extensive bootlegging during the time of Prohibition. Today, the 1920s gangster feeling is brought back to life through interactive tours in the catacombs and corridors beneath the streets.

Spend the day exploring Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital, and home to Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Academy, Depot Division. Every year, new ‘Mounties’ cadets complete their basic training here. Learn all about this legendary police force using state-of-the-art technology at the RCMP Heritage Centre, with admission included in your trip. There are also plenty of spectacles in the parade of cadets during the summer, including Sunset Ceremonies or the Sergeant Major’s Parade.

Drive to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan's largest metropolis. Seven bridges span the South Saskatchewan River, which meanders through the city. There’s plenty to see and do on arrival, including visiting the Remai Modern Art Gallery, the city’s excellent Farmers’ Market, and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, which explains the province’s significant indigenous heritage. In the evening, you can enjoy the sunset while strolling along the river promenade before sampling a drink or two in some of the city’s many local breweries and distilleries.

Enjoy a day at your own leisure exploring Saskatoon. We recommend starting your day with a relaxing boat trip on the South Saskatchewan River and then strolling through the historic streets of Broadway and Riversdale to savour their local charm. For a taste of prairie history, we recommend visiting the Western Development Museum, where a complete Western town from 1920 has been recreated. Visitors get authentic insights into the life of the early settlers.

Your route today takes you west to Drumheller, back in the province of Alberta. On the way, if you missed it before, we recommend making a small detour to Dinosaur Provincial Park. The town of Drumheller lies on the Red Deer River in a region known as Alberta’s ‘Badlands’, so-called for its unusual lunar-like landscape. On arrival, settle into your hotel and explore the town.

Spend the day exploring Drumheller. There are well-signposted circular driving routes through the scenic landscape surrounding Drumheller. Highlights include delightful scenic views, hoodoo rock formations, and charming river landscapes that are home to a variety of migratory birds. We highly recommend visiting the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, which interprets the fascinating dinosaur heritage of the region. Their Dinosaur Hall has one of the world's largest displays of dinosaur remains.

It's time to leave the unique geology and landscapes of Saskatchewan and Eastern Alberta behind as you drive south toward the border with the USA. Your destination is just north of Waterton Lakes National Park at a small, family-run ranch, with views over Alberta's plains, and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. You can relax on the patio with a drink this evening before enjoying a home-cooked dinner in the main lodge. All meals are included in your stay here. Wrap up warm in the evening as the area is one of the best for stargazing, with little light pollution to distract from the glittering stars.

Included in your package today is a 90-minute horse riding adventure. You'll be able to spread out with your guide as your horses wander the rolling hills of the surrounding landscape. Depending on the time of year, you may see open meadows bursting with wildflowers, farmers ploughing the fields, and small wildlife enjoying the peace. You'll then return to the lodge for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure. You can take a walk or hike from the ranch, or help move the cattle, witnessing the 1500-strong herd responding to the cries of the cattle manager as they move to new paddocks.

You have a full day at leisure today. You might choose to take one of the recommended guided tours, venture out on horseback again, rent a mountain bike and take to the trails nearby, take a swing on one of the nearby golf courses, or even take a day trip to one of the nearby areas. We recommend driving 30 minutes to Waterton Lakes National Park, where you can find towering mountains surrounding a collection of lakes that continue into the USA. Here, you can kayak on the lake, enjoy lunch on a patio, or take a hike into the alpine landscape. Return in the evening for a final meal with your friendly hosts.

After a final hearty breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to the ranch and head north to Calgary. The journey takes about three hours. On the way, we recommend stopping at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage site that preserves and interprets over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture, offering insight into the cultural significance of the cliff. You'll then continue to Calgary for your onward journey.

Arrive home today to complete your journey.